A delegation of senior National Democratic Alliance, including BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani, Sushma Swaraj and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav met the Prime Minister to request the recall of Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj.
The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured them that he will not take any ‘unconstitutional step’ irrespective of what is contained in the Governor’s report from Karnataka. The PM, Advani said, said he has not seen the report which is still with the home ministry.
Advani took Bhardwaj to task for refusing to convene a session of the Karnataka state legislature, as recommended by the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa. The Governor is believed to have recommended the dismissal of the state government on charges of “unconstitutional behavior” by the Speaker and the CM of Karnataka, both of BJP.
“The Chief Minister asked for convening a session of the state legislature. But the Governor refused. But he does not have the power to refuse such a request,” Advani said, after coming out of 7 Race Course Road, the residence of India’s Prime Minister.
“Since he has taken over as Governor, he has been acting against the Constitution. This [refusal of the request] is the latest in a series,” Advani added, mentioning that NDA wants the governor to be recalled.
“He has proven in the last three years for him to be detached or impartial. Partisanship comes out in every single action of his and every single utterance of it. We urged the PM that as soon as possible, the process of recalling him be started,” he said.
Advani pointed out that the Governor should not decide whether or not a Government has majority or not. “It should be decided only in the legislature,” he said.
BJP, excluding the renegade MLAs, has 111 seats out of the total 234 in the Karnataka Assembly. It needs at least 117 MLAs to support it to continue in Government. BJP will have 121 members including those who were disqualified by the speaker and who were re-instated by the Supreme Court on Friday.